Build a Mac app that stays awake with the lid shut
A non-developer had Factory's Droid build LidAwake, a free app keeping his Mac awake with the lid shut; he says it took about three hours, including a launch video.
Done with Factory Droid
What they did
The poster, who says he is not a developer, wanted his coding agents to keep working with his MacBook lid closed. Apple's built-in keep-awake command does not cover that. He asked Factory's Droid to build a fix and got a first version in 15 minutes. He then had Droid find and fix bugs and make a launch video. The result, LidAwake, sits in the menu bar and shuts off if the battery runs low or the Mac gets too hot.
How it went
He says Droid did the research, building, testing, every fix, the launch video and three thumbnails in about three hours. The app is free on GitHub with a 12-step manual test plan.
Worth knowing
The app gives itself permission to change sleep settings and runs a background watchdog. An awake Mac is not necessarily online, and an agent stuck on a permission prompt or usage limit still stops. Don't run it in a bag.
Try it yourself with Factory Droid
I'm not a developer. Help me build a small [macOS menu-bar / desktop] app that solves this problem: [describe the problem]. First research why existing options like [existing tool] fall short, and propose a plan. Wait for my approval before changing any system settings or permissions. Build a first version, then write and run tests and fix any bugs you find. Document exactly what the app changes on my machine and how to uninstall it. Finally, draft a short launch video and [number] thumbnails. Show me everything before publishing anything.
Swap the highlighted [parts] for your own details.
Source: X · @nkgoutham · Oct 14, 2026
Written with AI assistance from the original post and checked against our editorial guidelines. Results are as reported by the source, not independently verified.
